Botánico Residents Protest 30-Year Botanical Garden Delay

Residents in the Botánico area held a rally yesterday at 2 Retama Street. They were protesting the long-delayed expansion of the Botanical Garden in Puerto de la Cruz, demanding that the work be finished and the garden opened to the public. The group is fed up with waiting for a project that started over 30 years ago and is still not complete.

Beyond public enjoyment, the garden is also vital for science and research. It's home to a rich variety of plants, including some endangered species.

Last June, the association presented a formal statement to the City Council. All political parties unanimously supported it, agreeing with its message. The statement emphasized how important the expansion is for boosting sustainable tourism, increasing biodiversity by adding more plant species, and improving the community's well-being. Despite this support, nothing has changed.

This week, Margalida Figueroa, president of the association, said: "We want to emphasize how important this place is. After Madrid's Botanical Garden, the one in Puerto de la Cruz is the second most significant." She added, "However, the expansion work is never finished, and we want an update on the project's progress."

The expansion project dates back to the late 1980s, when the City Council rezoned an adjacent 40,000-square-meter plot for the garden's growth. About ten years later, the current boundary wall was built. By 2009, the new main building was nearly complete, and the terraces were finished.

But since 2009, very little progress has been made. Even the plants, which take the longest to establish, haven't been put in. This delay means both locals and tourists visiting the city are missing out on enjoying this valuable asset.